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H. K. AIGHTMIRE @I 5.75. BEA@ PRINTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25u91?.

1 @65,5 l 9. PAI/@AIAA my if, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. KA RIGHTMIRE L s. E. BERG.

PRINTING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED'MAY 25,1911.

Patented May 7, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEIH 2.

H. KfRIGHTMIRE L s. E. BERG.

l'PRlmNG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 19|?.

Patented May 7, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3,

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"l /'y Q/ UNITED sTATEs PATENT oErcE.

HIRAM K. RIGHTMIRE, 0F CHICAGO, AND SIGARD E. BERG, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS T0 RIGHTMIRE-BERG COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PRINTING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led May 25, 1917. Serial No. 171,043.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, HIRAM K. RIGHT- Mme and SIGARD E. BERG, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Chicago and Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Printing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

(')ur invention relates 4to printing machines for use in connection with making printing plates for oset printing presses, and has for one of its objects the provision 'of a simple and efficient machine of the character mentioned, and one which can be produced at low cost.

A further object is the provision of amachine, such as just referred to, in which the work can be easily and quickly registered up and proved as each print is made, or at each step of the step by step method of making printing plates.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

An embodiment of our invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a printing machine embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

3 is an enlarged fragmental detail showing in perspective a crank member provided with an adjusting wheel.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmental detail showing a connection between parts of the work-holding frame.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

Our invention is adaptable for embodiment in printing machines used in connection with making planographic printing plates for offset printing presses. The machine is designed especially for accurately registering and proving each print before the latter is exposed so that the operator can always know denitely just where the print is going to come on the sensitized plate he is using. An import-ant feature of the device is that the operator can arrange the prints -on his sensitized sheet at even spaces, or when desired, can vary the regular1ty or spaces between the prints as desired. These features will be clearly set forth hereinafter.

' Referring more particularly to the drawings we have shown a support or frame made .up of two upright members 10 jointed at their top by a cross-piece 11, and to make the construction more rigid we have provided braces 12 between the members 10 and 11. The members 10 are shown as being channel bars, but may be made of any desired material. The upright members 10 are preferably set at an angle, such as indicated in Fig. 2, so that the parts thereon will tend to be held by gravity onto the upper sides of said members.

The u right members 10 are provided with or ormed in such a manner as to provide guideways 13 upon which is mounted a ,frame made up of horizontal portions 14 and upright portions 15. The portions 14 and 15 are preferably provided with braces 16 to maintain the frame rigid. The members 14 are preferably elongated at both of their ends, such as indicated at 14 in Fig. 1. The upright members 10 are provided with rack bars 17 on their upper sides. Pinions 18 are secured to ay shaft 19, and the latter journalcd on the lower bar'14 of said frame. A manually operable crank 20 is connected to the shaft 19 by means of a pair of beveled gears 21, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, soythat operation of the crank 20 will rotate the pinions 18 to raise and lower the frame 14-15. In order to lock said frame at any ldesired height, we provide ya locking screw 22, or some other suitable locking member to engage one of the nprights 10 and hold the frame 14-10 against vertical movement.

Secured on the lower bar 14-14 we provide a track 23, which in the lpresent instance is a round bar secured to the lower bar 14-14 by suitable brackets 24. Mounted on the track 23 is a substantially rectangular frame 25, havin@ track wheels 26 engaging said track 23. 1; the upper side of the frame 25, we provide a roller or wheel 26 which engages the side of the upper bar 14-14. With this construction we preferablv provide a three-point suspension for the frame 25 and one which reduces friction to a minimum, as it is desired to operate the frame on its track with as little force as necessary. 1n order to move the frame on its track we provide rack teeth 27 .along its lower edge which mesh with a imon 28 mounted on a suitable art of tie lower frame bar 14. A manually operable crank 29 is connected with the pinion 28 to furnish manual means for operating the pinion, and hence the frame 25. The manually operable cranks 20 and 29 provide means for adjusting the two above-mentioned frames in a general Way, but are not sufficiently accurate for making fine adjustments for our invention. lWc, therefore, provide Wheels 30 on the shafts carrying cranks 2() and 29 and in the peripheries of the wheels 30 form a plurality ot' radiating holes which are adapted to be engaged by long detachable levers 31. lVith these levers 31 minute adjustments of the fran'les on their guideways may be accomplished, as will be readily understood.

Between the uprights 10 we provide a frame comprising upright members 32 and lower and upper bars Between the bars 33 we mount a slab 34 of transparent material. such as plate glass, to provide a supporting means for the negative to be used in our construction. Such a negative 35 is shown in Fig. 1 as having its bottom edge resting on a T-shaped support 36, and its upper edge resting against a T-shaped support 37. These supports 36 and 37 may be secured to the bars 33 in any suitable manner to provide vertical adjustments so that negatives of different heights may be employed. At the vertical vedges of the negative 35 we provide thin strips 38 which are clamped onto the upper and lower edges of the bars 33 in a manner to prevent lateral movements of the negative 35 on the transparent plate 34. The members 37 and 38 are preferably quite thin so that their combined thicknesses are not greater than the thickness of the negative 35, so that when the sensitized sheet is brought over the negative it can be pressed tightly against such negative.

0n one side of the frame 25, preferably the lower side, we provide two independent holding means 39 and 40. The holding means 39 is adapted to hold the lower edge of the sensitized sheet41 upon which the printing is to be donc. At the back of the sensitized sheet 4l we provide a backing sheet 42 having a piece of cushioning material, such as felt 43, between the sensitized sheet and backing sheet. The cushioning material is preferably secured to the backing sheet 42 by means of an adhesive. Across the upper portion of the frame 25 we provide two independent means for holding the upper edges of the backing sheet 42 and sensitized sheet 41 so that these sheets may be adjustable independently to insure each being taut. ln the present instance we have shown two elongated members 44 and. .45. The member 44 is provided with a securing means 46 similar to the securing means 39, and is adapted to hold the upper edge of the sensitized sheet. The elongated member 45 is provided with a securing means 47 similar to the securing means 40 which 1s adapted to hold the upper edge of the backing sheet 42., Each of the elongated members is provided with a spring-pressed pawl 48 adapted to mesh with teeth 49 on the inner edges of the upright parts of frame 25 so that b simply pulling upward on each of the e ongated members 44 and 45, the sheets 41 and 42 will be made taut. 1n the particular construction shown it is desirable to move the member 45 to tighten the sheet 42 before moving the member 44 to tighten the sheet 41. This is usually accomplished, by first fitting the sheet 42 in position and bringing it up taut, then putting the sensitized sheet in place, fastening it down under the holding members 39 and 46, then bringing it up taut by moving the elongated bar 44. Atter these adjustments of the bars .44 and 45 have been accomplished, it is sometimes desirable to make finer adjustments to bring the sheets 41 and 42 taut. In such cases we provide adjusting means 50 and 51. 1n the present instance these adjusting means 50i-and 51 are screws threaded in the upper portions of the locking means 46 and 47 and engaging the upper edges of the bars 44 and 45, but any other adjusting means desired may be used. When the adjustments have been made by the adjusting means 50 and 51, the locking means may be locked against the bars 44 and 45 by screws 52 operating through slots 53, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

ln the use of a machine embodying our invention in which there are usually a :number of different color plates to be made, each color must have its separate negative from which the plates are made for that particular color. After the negatives are prepared and before they are placed in the device for printing, one negative is taken and register marks 54, Fig. 1, placed on the negative and then the other negatives placed, one at a time, upon the rst negative and similar registering marks 54 made on that, so that the register marks or' all the negatives to be used in one set will have their registering.

marks identical in position. A lay-out or stick-up sheet. of a size corresponding to the finished plate is laid out with register marks corresponding to :the register marks 54 on the negatives. A proof or stick-up sheet is indicated as at 55 in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, and register marks 56 marked on the back thereof to indicate just where the prints are to come on the sensitized sheet. This stickup sheet is preferably held to the backing sheet 42, and inav be secured thereto in any desirable manner. We have indicated it as being held under the holding members 40 and 47.

Hinged to the cross bar 1l is a frame 57 which is provided with a Weight member 58 connected thereto by a cord 59 for serving as a counterwei ht for the frame 57. At the lower end o the frame 57 we provide an open plate or frame 60 which is adjustably secured to the sides of the frame 57 by a slot and bolt connection 6l, or its e uivalent, so that the frame 60 may be shi ted with relation to the frame 57. Secured to the frame 60 is a transparent sheet 62 which may be of celluloid, or any other suitable substance. After the negative 35 is placed in its position on the transparent sheet 34, the frame 57 is swung downwardly until the sheet 62 engages said negative. The operator then makes register marks on the transparent sheet 62 corresponding to the register marks 54 on the negative 35. The frame 57 is then swung upwardly out of the Way, such as its full line position indicated in F ig. 2. The manually operable cranks 20 and 29 are then operated to bring the frames 14-15 and 25 over the negative until a portion of the sensitized sheet 41 will move over the back of the negative 35. This may be accomplished roughly by moving the manually operable cranks 20 and 29, then to get the accurate adjustments the levers 31 are operated in the openings of wheels 30 to bring the sensitized sheet in its proper position for exposing the lirst print. This exact position is determined by swinging the frame 57 downwardly until the transparent sheet 62 engages the stick-up sheet 55 and until the register marks 63 on the sheet 62 register with the first set of register marks 56 on the stick-up sheet 55. When it is determined by the register marks 63 and 56 coinciding, then the sensitized sheet is in its proper position.

To protect the negative against being scratched by the sensitized sheet being moved across it we pivot the frame 3233 as at 64, see Fig. 2, and rest its upper end against cams 65. The cams 65 are connected together on a shaft 66 which is operated by a lever 67 and connecting link 68. The latter is operated by a lever 7 0 secured to the lower end of a lever 71. The lever 71 is hinged near the lower end of uprights 10 in such a position that its upper end may swing over the negative'35. On the upper end of lever 71 we provide a pressure plate 72 which is capable of adjustment by means of a hand wheel 73 and dowel pins 74. With this construction when the lever 71 is moved toward the negative, the pressure plate 72 is adapted to rest on the stick-up sheet 55 and press the sensitized plate 41 tightly against the negative 35, when the sensitized sheet is ready to be exposed, which is well understood by those familiar with this type of machine. The lever 71 may be provided with a brace 75 to hold it in its two positions indicated in Fig. 2 when so desired. The construction is also arranged so that when the lever 71 is swun from its full to its dotted line position 1n Fig. 2, the frame 32-33 will be swung from its full line to its dotted line position. When these parts are in their dotted line positions the frames 14-15 and 25 may be freely moved to'bring new parts of the sensitized `plate into registration with the negative, and such parts are determined by registering the register marks on sheet 62 with the register marks on the vstick-up sheet 55, as above described.

In the printing of paper with multi-colors in which the paper must be run through the press a nulnber of times, such paper often stretches so that after two or three colors have been run, the remaining colors do not properly register if strict adherence to the stick-up sheet 55, as above described, is adhered to. `With our improved machine it is only necessary to vary the register marks 56 on the stick-up sheet to accommodate the stretching which has occurred in the paper stock. Also sometimes several of the colors are run off and the job laid aside for a while before the remaining colors are run. In such cases the stock sometimes shrinks and the stick-up sheet used for running l the first colors will not register on account of the shrinkage of the paper. All that is necessary in our device is to take one of the sheets which has so shrunk and make new register marks 56 on the stick-up sheet 55 to correspond with the shrinkage of the paper in order to make the remaining colors register accurately with the colors already run. With this construction then it will be seen that the operator by changing the register marks 56 on the stick-up sheet, hecan accommodate variations in his paper stock and can accurately set his sensitized sheet exactly where he wants it.

As above described, the frame 32-33 moves simultaneously with the pressure plate 72, but in some instances, such as for instance when the register marks 63 are being made onthe transparent sheet- 62 as above described, it is convenient to have the frame 32-33 move to its full line position of Fig. 2 with the pressure plate and its carrying parts in a position such as the dotted line thereof in Fig. 2. This can be accomplished by manually operating a lever 76 ixed on a sleeve 7 6 which in turn is pivoted on shaft 66, said sleeve carrying cams 77 corresponding to cam 65. This provides means for oscillating the frame 3233 independently of pressure plate 72.

In adjusting the sheets 41, 42, 43 and 55 into and out of their positions in frame 25, it is convenient to swing the frame 25 on the rollers 26 and track 23 to a horizontal position. Locking members 26', one of which is indicated in Fig. 6, are mounted on the lower side of frame 25 to cooperate with the rollers 26 to prevent displacement of the frame from track 23. In swinging the frame 25 on the track 23, the rollers 2G and locking means 26 are adapted to be swung between the supports 24:.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred form of our invention, we do not desire to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such variations and changes as come within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim l. In combination, a support; two frames, one being mounted on the support and the other mounted on the first-mentioned frame, said frames being adapted to move in directions at substantially right angles to each other; a negative-holding means mounted in the support and adapted to move toward and away from said frames; a pressure plate mounted for movement toward and away from the frames on theA opposite side of frames from the negative-holding means; and a connection between the pressure plate and negative-holding means causing said pressure plate and negative-holding means to move simultaneously toward and simultaneously away from said frames.

2. In combination, a frame; work-holding means on the Jframe; a negative holder mounted at one side of the frame; a pressure plate mounted at the other side of the frame; and a connection between the negative holder and the pressure plate adapted to move both the negative holder and pressure plate toward the 'frame and clamp work in the work-holding means.

3. In combination, two frames, one movably mounted on the other; a negative-holding means mounted at one side of the frames; a pressure plate mounted at the other side of the frames; and a connection between the negative-holding means and the pressure plate adapted to move said negative-holding means and pressure plate simultaneously toward each other to clamp an article in one of the frames and to move simultaneously away from each other to disengage said article.

4. In combination, a support; a workholding frame mounted on the support; a negative holder pivoted to the support; a cam associated with the support and negative holder adapted to swing the latter on the support toward and away from said frame; a lever associated with the frame; a pressure plate mounted on the lever; and a connection between the lever and cam for simultaneously 'swinging the lever and cam for moving the negative holder and pressure plate toward and away from the work holding frame.

necesi@ 5. In combination, a support; a frame movably mounted on the supportan adjustable member substantially parallel with one side of said frame and adjustable with respect to said frame side; means on said frame side adapted to hold one edge oil' an alrticle; means on said adjustable trame adapted to hold the other ed e of an arti cle held by the first mentione means; and adjusting means for adjusting the second mentioned means with respect to said adjustable member.

6. In combination, a support; a frame movably associated with t e support; an elongated member mounted in the :trame substantially parallel with one side ot the' latter; holding means on the elongated member and said iframe side adapted to hold an article between said trame side and said elongated member; and adjustable means associated with the frame and elongated member adapted to hold the elongated member in different positions in the frame.

7. In combination, a support; a trame movably associated with the support; an elongated member mounted in the frame substantially parallel with one side of the latter; holdingmeans on the elongated member and said frame side adapted to hold an article between said frame side and said elongated member; adjustable means associated with the frame and elongated member adapted to hold the elongated member in different positions in the frame; and an adjustable means for adjusting the holding means on the elongated member with respect to the latter.

8. In combination, a support, a frame movably associated with the support; two elongated members adaptable for movement side by side in the frame and both members being substantially parallel with one side ot the frame; sensitized sheet holding means j and backing sheet holding means on said side of the frame; sensitized sheet holding means on one of the elongated members; backing sheet holding means on the other of said elongated members; and means for adjusting the elongated members independ ently of each other in the frame toward and away from said frame side.

9. In combination, a support, a negative mounted on the support; a sensitized sheet holdin frame mounted on the support and movab e over the negative; indicatino' means mounted in the trame; and indicatin means associated with the negative, said irstmentioned indicating means being adapted to register with the second-mentioned indicating means to indicate the position of a print from said negative in said frame.

10. In combination, a support; a negative mounted on the support and having markings thereon; indicating means adapted to illltl register with the markings on the negative; a frame mounted for movement over the negative; and indicating means in said frame adapted to register with the first-mentioned indicating means when the frame has been moved to a predetermined position with respect to the negative.

11. In combination, a support; a negative mounted on the support and having markings thereon; a member hinged to the support and having indicating means thereon adapted to register with the markings on4 the negative; a frame mounted for movement over the negative; a lay-out sheet having markings thereon in the frame; and means adapted to move the frame over the negative and brin the markings on the layout sheet into registration With the indicating means ou said member.

12. In combination, a negative having markings thereon; a member mounted adjacent the negative; indicating` means on said member adapted to register with the markings on the negative; a frame mounted for movement over the negative; and a lay-out sheet in the frame having markings thereon adapted to register with the indicating means on said member.

13. In combination, a negative having markings thereon; a member mounted adj acent the negative; a transparent sheet carried bj said member having markings thereon corresponding to the markings on said negative; a frame mounted for movement at one side of the negative; and a lay-out sheet in the frame, there being markings on the lay-out sheet adapted to register with the markings on the transparent sheet.

14. In combination, a support; a negative on the support having markings thereon; a member hinged to the support and adapted to swing into a position adjacent one side of the negative; indicating means on said member adapted to register with the markings of said negative; a frame mounted on the support and adapted to move over one side of the negative; and a lay-out sheet in said frame having markings thereon corresponding to the markings on the negative and adapted to register with the indicating means on said member.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 15. In combination, a support; a negative mounted on the support and having a set of markings thereon; a frame; sensitized sheet holding means on the frame; means associated with the support and frame adapted to move the latter in two directions at right angles to cach other on the support over the negative; a lay-out sheet in the frame held independently and at the back of the sensitized sheet holding means and having a plurality of sets of markings thereon corresponding to the set of markings on the negative; a member pivoted to the support and adapted to swing over the lay-out sheet; '35 and indicating means on said member adapted to register with each set of markings on the lay-out sheet, one at a time7 upon movements of said frame over the negative.

16. In combination, a negative having markings thereon; a member adapted to move over the negative; indicating means on said member corresponding to the markings on the negative; a frame mounted to .move over the negative; a set of adjustable sensitized sheet holders and a set of adjustable lay-out sheet holders in said frame; and means for adjusting one set of holders .independently of the other set of holders.

17. In combination, a negative; a frame mounted for movement across one side of the negative; sensitized sheet holding means in the frame; a lay-out sheet having two of its edges held in the frame adjacent said sensitized sheet holding means; and means cooperating with the lay-out sheet for positively indicating when a desired position of the latter is directly over the negative,

18. In combination7 a negative; a frame mounted for movement across one side of so the negative; a lay-out sheet in the frame; and means associated with the negative and. cooperating With the lay-out sheet adapted to facilitate the movement of said :trame to a predetermined position with respect to the @5 negative.

In testimony whereof We have signed our lnames to this specification, on this 21st day of May, A. D. 1917.

HIRAM K. RIGI-IIMIRE. SIGARD E. BERG. Y

of Patents,

Washington, LD. C. 

